THE EVOLUTION OF ROBIN THICKE - ROBIN THICKE
Right off the bat, Thicke has drawn comparisons to Justin Timberlake, making it hard for him to slice his own niche. Both are soulful, blue-eyed crooners with pleasant falsettos, but with very distinct musical approaches. Thicke’s sophomore effort is, like his 2003 debut, “Beautiful World,” a soul-driven session that highly contrasts Timberlake’s pop-centric style. Though “Evolution” courts the mainstream via droning lead single “Wanna Love You Girl” featuring Pharrell Williams and the Lil’ Wayne-featuring “All Night Long,” it is propelled chiefly by smoky jazz-club grooves (”Complicated”), achingly tender ballads (”I Need Love”) and funky numbers (”Cocaine”), none of which are really radio-friendly. One could argue the album is too soul-drenched, as chunky instrumentation and dawdling ballads drag out the 16-track disc. But in small doses, “Evolution” is well worth the stylistic weight. Billboard
